Fate
by Bomichan
Summary: Hogwarts Mystery Fic: It's 7th year for Joycelyn Macmillan, graduation is around the corner, and with it the promise of a new life. What will it hold? Will old friends fade into memory? Will new love bloom? What new adventures wait outside the halls of the school of witchcraft and wizardry?
1. The moon and back

**The moon and back ( fate)**

" _She's taking her time making up the reasons  
To justify all the hurt inside, guess she knows  
From the smiles and the look in their eyes  
Everyone's got a theory about the bitter one.."  
-Savage Garden_

 ***Thwack***

Blue cushioned mats lined the floor of the stark white room. The light, shone like mid-day sun but no lamps could be seen. It was as if the light came from everywhere and nowhere at once. A massive dark blue punching bag the color of the ocean filled the center of the mats, and its weight gave slightly with every strike laid upon it. A lean figure dressed in shorts and a drenched t-shirt bounced slightly on the balls of her feet, suddenly with cat like grace she sprang forward fist raised with precise accuracy.

 ***Thwack***

A sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead, and a few salty beads slowly crept their way down her temples. Well defined muscles peaked out and strained with every punch and kick thrown at the blue punching bag. Dark wavy hair pulled back into a messy bun framed a heart shaped face which pointed unwaveringly at the large blue target.

 ***Thwack***

Bright green eyes, usually lit with intelligence and humor were steely and focused. Usually only dueling opponents saw her eyes like this, namely one Merula Snyde. But today, the target was different. Today was about ensuring the brunette stayed strong, stayed fast, and stayed ready to defend herself.

 ***Thwack***

From the moment she found the room of requirements during her first year at Hogwarts it was Joycelyn Macmillan's safe place. Now in her 7th year at Hogwarts Joycelyn came weekly to the room for various types of training or just to think of her brother, life, and how muggles could possibly not know of their existence. The room kept her sane, the stress relief helped her kept an armor of outward calm even when internally she was screaming or crying.

 ***Thwack***

First year had been tough, her parents had told her it would be difficult due to what happened with her brother. They tried to make her ready, but nothing could have prepared her for what she experienced. For the younger MacMillan it was just another lesson in how life wasn't always fair.

 ***Thwack***

Her sorting unintentionally made ways at Hogwarts. According to the whispers they were all so sure she would be sorted into Ravenclaw or even Slytherin. Even at eleven any passerby could see that this young witch was driven and intelligent, But the Sorting Hat saw more to her. It saw a scared young girl with a gentle but hurting heart. Joycelyn could even still remembered its gravely, ancient voice as it spoke to her. Like a wind flowing into her ears and mind it told her of her ambitions which were perfect for Slytherin. She was brave and there was a hint of daring in there, and so could do well in Gryffindor. It predicted if she were a Ravenclaw her incredible intellect would ne nourished and she would have few equals in the wizarding world. But the voice paused, made a sound as if pondering the decision, and after what felt like an eternity it said," no".

 ***Thwack***

If the Sorting Hat had not been covering Jocelyn's eyes others would have seen the surprise light those green orbs. The Sorting Hat murmured almost too low for the young witch to hear, and it spoke of the bitterness slowly growing in her heart. This bitterness was slowly choking the kindness out. Then it surprised the young brunette, gave her a choice, and she chose to be close to her brother. Another pause, the Sorting Hat hummed in approval, "Yes Hufflepuff, I see how loyal you are to your brother. It's a good house to trim back the ivy of bitterness." So, after a short eternity," HUFFLEPUFF" echoed into the great hall to a brief pause before claps filled the cavernous expanse. She was sorted into her brother Jacob's house, and the young Scottish witch became a badger.

 ***Thwack***

But Joycelyn didn't expect the whispers, the fear, the amount of distrust thrown her way. It hurt. It was isolating, it was lonely, and if not for her friends Rowan, Ben, and Penny she wouldn't have made it this far. If it weren't for them and others she met along the way, she would not have been able to repeatedly find and close the vaults. If it weren't for her friends, the professors along the way, even Merula as insufferable as she was Joycelyn would not be standing here today.

 ***Thwack***

But one name wandered back into the brunette's mind, Penny. A name Joycelyn often came back to in her thoughts. The name which was as familiar to the brunette as her own.

 ***Thwack***

Golden blonde hair, bright kind blue eyes, she was and still is the most popular girl in their year. In the whole school if Joycelyn was being honest with herself. Penny was amazing, everyone wanted to be near her, be like her, and be with her. Lines of admirers left her notes, sent her hordes of owls, and offered to walk her to and from classes. Half the school was in love with her. Even the dark haired Hufflepuff.

 ***Thwack***

Especially the dark haired Hufflepuff.

 ***Thwack***

Penny could have anyone she wanted. She was brilliant and gorgeous. But for as long as the dark-haired witch could remember the blonde had never once talked about her interest in anyone. She talked plenty about her love of potions, in knowing all the latest gossip, and of her love of going on adventures. It was those things that brought the two young witches together, it was the foundation their friendship was built upon. While Joycelyn knew a great many things about her friend, love and romance was one area she was in the dark over. And in the stillness of the night, when everything was quiet it ate at her.

 ***Thwack***

Her heart ached, almost like sore over used muscles after a long training session. It settled in her chest, restricting breathing at times, but most often felt more like a weight pressing on her. This ache in Joycelyn's heart was a familiar one.

 ***Thwack***

She first felt a similar one when her brother had gone missing. This longing for the sibling she lost, and for answers she could not find. It was a sadness which welled deep in her soul. But she soon found that her heart was bigger than even she knew. Another ache, quite different grew for every time she thought of Penny. It was different, and it was a pain in her ass.

 ***Thwack***

It was the most delicious and melancholy ache that would creep up on the brunette and snatch her breath away at the oddest times. As the years passed Joycelyn almost got used to it as it would often recede into a dull thud. This bit of longing would wiggle its way into her heart every time Penny would engulf her in a hug or brush her hands across her face, reminding Joycelyn that this was the most she could ever hope for. This ache was a wholly different type of sadness the young witch learned. This ache would at times give way to blooms of joy as radiant as a field of freshly bloomed heather.

 ***Thwack***

But it would soon ebb back to the familiar ache of longing in the brunette's chest. The familiar thought that she could never let the blonde know of her secret. The cold dark fear that the sunlight of Penny's smile would grow dark should she learn of Joycelyn's feelings.

 ***Thwack***

"God, I'm so fucking angsty", the brunette muttered aloud to herself as she turned and executed a swift kick to the blue punching bag.

 ***Thwack***

With a huff the dark-haired witch drew up to her full height. She had grown over the summer and now stood 5'8much to the annoyance of one blonde who was still only came up to Joycelyn's eyes. She wiped the sweat from her face with a towel she brought and pulled her black and yellow robe loosely over her shoulders. It was getting late.

It was evening. Dinner had come and gone. Student's were milling around in pockets all around the castle. No doubt Rowan, Joycelyn's best friend was excitedly studying in the library or the comfortable Hufflepuff house common room. So, when the freshly showered brunette entered the common room, she was only half surprised to not see her bespectacled friend. Instead was a familiar head of blonde hair bent over a potions book.

A slow smile spread across the Scottish girl's face as she drank in the sight of the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts. The appreciation morphed into a twinkling glimmer of mischief which so commonly lit her green eyes. Ever so slowly Joycelyn crept toward the blonde, careful measured steps across the rug covered wooden floor. She knew just where to place her feet, so the floor boards wouldn't creak, giving away her location. With her robes draped over one arm and the other arm free the brunette reached around the unsuspecting blonde holding her hands over her eyes.

"Guess who" Joycelyn whispered lowly into Penny's ear.

A quiet giggle emerged from the shorter witch as she brought her hands up to the ones covering her eyes. "Well, with that brogue it can only be the Hero of Hogwarts"

The blonde witch pulled the hands covering her eyes down, but held onto them, drawing slow circles into the taller girl's palms with her thumbs. A slow smile spread across her features as she craned her neck to look at Joycelyn taking note of the still damp hair.

"Back from training again I see" She smiled gently.

Joycelyn almost looked embarrassed as her hands instinctively wrapped around the fingers tucked in her palms and nodded her head affirmatively. "What are you studying?", the Scottish witch asked changing the subject as she gently nudged their temples together for emphasis. With their faces so close she missed the near imperceptible flutter of the blonde's eyes and how the pale cheeks bloomed with color. Joycelyn peaked at the book in the blonde's lap and noted the first word, "felix…" the brunette read aloud.

"Penny, are you reading up on how to brew a little luck?", Joycelyn teased.

"It's a very difficult potion to brew and I need my skills to be in top shape for N.E.W.T.s ." The blonde witch huffed indignantly, clutching ever tighter to the hands which were now resting comfortably next to her collar bone. The brunette made a hum of disbelief just as the door to the common room swung open. With a barely audible sigh she pulled away from her fellow Hufflepuff and stood to her full height, stretching slightly to hide her awkwardness.

A group of first years barreled through the doorway, all noise and laughter. But an all too familiar hush fell over the group as they saw the sibling of the opener of the cursed vaults leaning against one of the common room couches. Their wide eyes and the momentary silence that settled over the group like a wet blanket was nothing new to Joycelyn. It was just another reminder of the many ways in which the students of Hogwarts unintentionally isolated the her. With a brief exhale as if steeling herself, the tall brunette turned to the group with an easy smile that didn't r each her green eyes.

"What's with all the big eyes and long faces?", Joycelyn would be damned if a bunch of eleven-year old's would put a chink in her armor of calm laidbackness. But before anyone could respond, Penny turned and fixed her kind blue eyes on the group.

"It's almost curfew, off to your dormitories", her silken voice was soft but there was an underlying edge of unmistakable authority which kicked all the younger students into high gear. As the group of first-years ran off toward the staircases the brunette cocked one eyebrow down at the blonde in question.

"They were being loud", she stated matter-of-factly, as if commenting on the weather. "Now" Penny stated as she scooted over to make room for the taller brunette, "sit down, I saved you some dinner."


	2. Confessions

"Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone  
I hear you call my name, and it feels like…  
home "

-Madonna

"Hey Joy, back from exploring the lake, again are we? I swear one day that squid is going to eat you. Though, it's a fresh water lake and squids live in salt water, it must be a kind of fresh water variant. I wonder if the library has a book on giant squid varieties." Rowan exclaimed in her usual half musing half conversational way.

"Hello there Rowan" Jocelyn replied quietly as she made herself comfortable at the library table with various haphazardly stacked books around her black haired friend. "How home you always ask me 3 questions at the same time? "Jocelyn shot back impishly.

Rowan was the first friend Jocelyn made at Hogwarts. She had thick black hair that often hung loosely around her bespectacled face, and an easy smile that glowed when she had a new bit of information to share. She was Jocelyn's first friend at Hogwarts, and the one who she could always rely on.

Rowan Khanna's family owned a tree farm, and the British Indian witch was by far the smartest student at Hogwarts by Jocelyn's guess. At any given moment Jocelyn could find herself listening to the differences that cores make in a wand to random facts about fantastic magical beast. Most days however, the bespectacled witch called the library home.

While Jocelyn had a reputation for being a bit of a loner, spending time hiking around the castle and lake, the majority of the student body would be surprised to learn she often spent time with her friends. Of course, the majority of the student body thought she was mad just like her brother when she first started Hogwarts. So, Jocelyn had stopped caring much for public opinion years ago. Lately, Jocelyn had been spending many long hours together with Rowan studying, reading dusty tomes, and quietly snickering so Madam Pince didn't shush them. While Jocelyn enjoyed spending time with her bookish friend, this was not how the she envisioned spending her last year at Hogwarts. While once a week she had a standing study date with Penny for potions, she had not expected to spend much of her waking life studying for exams. It was dreadfully boring for the adventure seeker.

Rowan had been with Jocelyn through it all, every single vault, every new clue, and the ups and downs of looking for Jacob. While Rowan was not keen on the adventure side of curse breaking, she was always ready to research whatever she could to help.

When Jocelyn had been working toward becoming the Hufflepuff prefect the green eyes witch became concerned that her friend Rowan had wanted the title. Jocelyn's concerns had been correct, and the two had a friendly competition for the position. The young Scottish witch had quietly lamented over the fear that competing for the position would cause a rift between the two friends, but her fears were for naught. After Jocelyn had been named the Hufflepuff prefect in her 5th year, Rowan, had been her best ally. But she had always wondered.

"Rowan?" Jocelyn asked quietly, tucking a stray wavy dark hair behind her ear.

"Yo, Joy?" The Indian witch replied not looking up from her book _The curious case of a freshwater cephalopod_.

"Remember when I made prefect?" Jocelyn asked hesitantly.

Dark brown eyes behind large glasses peered curiously up at the nervous Scottish witch from the book she held, "Yeah Joy, I remember" she replied slowly.

Green eyes searched the face of her friend, "I don't know how to say this; I've always felt bad as if I was stealing something from you. I'm sorry."

Rowan turned then, brown eyes usually twinkling with curiousness suddenly somber. And Jocelyn, the seemingly self-assured witch found herself suddenly nervous. As those brown eyes searched green, a small smile graced Rowan's feature. "Yeah" She began quietly, briefly looking away. " I have to admit I was pretty disappointed at first. But I don't think I could have held Tulip and Tonks to the rules like you've had. Plus, I became head girl didn't I? I think it suits me well." Rowan replied rather impishly.

Jocelyn nervously smoothed an eyebrow, a habit she has formed over the years when she was uncomfortable, "I wouldn't say I've held them to the rules. They both keep breaking them." The green-eyed witch murmured only to receive a hum of disbelief from her friend.

Blue eyes suddenly caught green from across the room, twinkling in their usual way when Penny was thinking about a new potion to brew or an adventure to begin. A jolt of heat shot straight up Jocelyn's spine, expanding from her stomach in white hot flames as it arched up her back, causing her to sit up straighter, and miss Rowan's next question.

The green-eyed witch took a slow deep breath, willing her face to not heat up and match the temperature of her insides. Jocelyn glanced down thinking she must have just caught Penny's eye as she scanned the room. A quick glance back confirmed that those blue eyes had lingered on hers unmistakably, making the heat pool in the Scottish witch's stomach. She was almost sure she was blushing all the way to her bellybutton, and the slow deep inhalations continued as she briefly closes her eyes to will her pale skin to not become rosier.

"How come you haven't dated anyone, Joy?" Rowan asked a second time.

"Wha..?" Green eyes still hazy from their encounter with blue turned to Rowan, confused and trying desperately to focus.

"I was just curious." The bookish witch shrugged as Jocelyn regained her composure.

With a bravado she forced all the while cursing her thudding heart to slow down, she replied, "That you know of".

"You have?! Who?! Do I know them?!" Rowan exclaimed, her eyes wide behind her glasses. "How have I not known?!"

Jocelyn just smiled in reply, her heartbeat slowing back to normal with her usual teasing of her friend. Before she can reply the two hear a soft cough behind them, and the dark-haired witch would know that cough anywhere. Her heartbeat was back to thundering in her chest, as she briefly closed her eyes again, willing her pale skin to once again not become rosy.

"Can I join you two?" The silken voice asked, hesitant as if unsure.

Before Jocelyn can reply a hand was already pushing books aside to make a place next to the green-eyed witch. " 'Course Penny , here sit next to Joy. We were just talking about how Joy has been secretly dating," Rowan replied impishly.

Jocelyn closed her eyes and lowly muttered, "Merlin, just let the ground swallow me up now." Her face full on red all the way to the tips of her ears.

Penny chuckled softly looking down at the beet-red witch, "I know all the gossip in Hogwarts Jocelyn, how have you kept this from us?" she asked, almost purring out Jocelyne name.

Jocelyne mind was running 60 miles a minute, trying desperately to think of a way out of the situation. She briefly thought about apparating out of the library to the safety of the dormitory, but remembered it wasn't allowed on Hogwarts grounds. She quietly muttered curses under her breath. She had not dated anyone and considered herself a bit of a late bloomer. She was so focused on finding her brother and pinning for Penny, she didn't have time for anything else.

While her internal dialogue continued to wax on poetically about the failures of her non-existent love like blue eyes filled with laughter were expectantly looking down at her. So, with a small shrug, and a sigh of defeat Jocelyn decided to tell the truth. She was pretty sure she was in love with a certain blue-eyed, blonde haired Hufflepuff and just didn't have time to date anyone else.

"I haven't", was all her betraying mouth could form, however.

At that a smile blossomed on the blonde-haired witches face, and she reached down to affectionately ruffle wavy dark hair. "We're just having a bit of a joke, Jocelyn." To which Jocelyn could almost hear Rowan mutter," I wasn't" but couldn't be too sure her ears heard correctly as all she could see were eyes the color of the ocean.

As if some unspoken permission had been granted Penny finally put her books down on the already overcrowded table. Her heavy tomes on advanced potion making stacked nearly as high as Rowan's own books on the history of magical history as she slid onto the bench next to Jocelyn. With so many books littered on the table and bench the blonde had to slide in close to Jocelyn pressing their legs together, which caused a slight hitch in the dark-haired girl's breath.

With the other girl pressed up against Jocelyn, her hand briefly landed on Jocelyn's thigh instead of her own as if to steady herself. A twinge of tightness settled in the Scottish witches' stomach as she took in bright pink blooms of color against Penny's cheeks. A bashful smile graced the blonde's face as she mumbled an apology to the other girl. Then for reasons unknown to the dark-haired girl a bubble of laughter escaped her as she nudged Penny's shoulder gently with her own. Her heart lit with happiness while her head swam with confusion and delight. Penny's own relived laughter soon joined hers as the two were reduced to tears and giggles of shared mirth which are soon met with a rather loud "SHH" from Madam Pince.

Jocelyn's eyes glanced up, tears blurring her vision and Rowan's dark brown orbs met her own. The amusement and that knowing look as if Rowan suddenly her answer had was clear, telling Jocelyn all she needed to know: she was screwed.

Later that evening when Jocelyn and Rowan were safety tucked back in their shared dormitory room the black-haired girl turned serious. "You fancy Penny Haywood" Rowan stated matter-of-factually.

Yup, so screwed, Jocelyn thought to herself.

"Why haven't you said anything?" Rowan asked, her voice unusually soft. "Did you think I would treat you differently? Because I don't care. You're still my friend." She exclaimed in her usual half mussing way. " You can always talk to me" she added.

Jocelyn sighed, unsure what words to say, there was so much on this particular subject that she had kept hidden for so long. So green-eyed girl did what she often did, she told the truth, albeit haltingly at first.

She explained how back in their 5th year she had told Penny that she fancied her, but it was poor timing on her part. Penny's sister Beatrice had been stuck in that painting at the time, they were all working hard to get Beatrice out, and her confession just came out to Penny one day during herbology. But with all that was going on with Beatrice the other girl had told her she couldn't think of anything but saving her sister. It wasn't a rejection, but it was definitely not what Jocelyn had hoped to hear. While Penny did promise that when it was over, they would talk, that talk just never came.

So as the weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years Jocelyn kept her feelings to herself, scared of bringing up the conversation once again. She had even convinced herself that Penny had delayed the talk for fear of ruining their friendship. While Jocelyn loved the idea of being with the beautiful Hufflepuff she had decided that being friends with Penny was better then having no relationship with Penny.

But every time Jocelyn heard the other girl call her name, her heart would skip a beat. She couldn't help the smile that lit her features and hearing her name on the lips of the blue-eyed beauty was enough to have her day-dreaming about what-if. But only in the room of requirements, when she was alone with her thoughts, could she admit that her name on Penny's lips was probably the closest she would ever get to them.


	3. Frustration

" Now I don't wanna go home  
'Cause when you hold me like this,  
You know my heart skip, skips a beat.."

-Olly Murs

The first thing Joycelyn noticed as the groggy tendrils of sleep began to loosen their grip on her was light. It flooded her senses making the room feel both ethereal and unbearably bright, causing her to tightly shut her eyes to not be blinded. She must have forgotten to close the window blinds again last night. With eyes still closed she could feel the sun warming her face with its gentle caress. She was warm and comfortable, wrapped in a cocoon of happiness and snuggly heat. She shifted slightly, and the arms tucked loosely around her waist shifted as well. She could feel a slight tickle of gentle breathing in the space between her neck and shoulder. The familiar scent of lilac and apples drifts through her nostrils and a small contented sigh escaped her lips. She cracked one eye open squinting immediately as the light stabbed mercilessly at her still sleep crusted orb. She winced, and tried again, slowly opening her eye after a slight rub of her free hand, and blurry blonde hair turned gold in the morning light came into view. She blinked a few times attempting to rid her morning eyes of sleep as that blurry gold came into focus. A feeling of deep contentment washed over her, she was home.

A sound like an airy contented sigh escaped the lips tucked into the crook of her neck. Lips brushed across her neck and a puff of air made its way past those lips, another contented sigh. Joycelyn turned her head slightly nuzzling into the golden hair at her shoulder, and the smell of lilacs and apples engulfed her senses like a hazy cloud.

A tickle at her shoulder intruded into her contented thoughts, at first, she brushed them away, but the tickle continued worming its way toward her neck. With a grunt she swatted at it, but it persisted. That lingering scent of lilacs and apples once again clouded her senses. A voice, filled with gentle laughter whispered into her ears, "wake up Joy, you're humming in your sleep silly".

With a start, the brunette's head shot up, eyes darting around the room, attempting to make sense of where she was at. Chalk board at the front of the room, a ghost sleeping on the desk, rows of students reading scrolls, and writing notes to themselves appeared before the sleepy witch. Her eyes flicked to her left where a pair of amused blue orbs peered curiously at her. A dream. Again. This was getting old Joycelyn thought dejectedly to herself.

Joycelyn pulled herself up into a sitting position, wiping the sleep from her eyes, and glancing at the blonde-haired witch out of the corner of her eye.

" 'Hanks Penny" she murmured, as her eyes searched her notes desperately trying to figure out what she was supposed to be reading. A hand snaked into the dark-haired witch's vision, pushing aside a scroll, and pointing to a paragraph on the magical counsel of 1172. Gratitude bloomed in Joycelyn's chest and she turned grateful eyes toward Penny only to be stopped as she noticed a peculiar look on the other girl's face.

The other witch pointed toward the corner of her own eye motioning to the Scottish girl that she still had eye crust. Pink exploded over Joycelyn's cheeks as she furiously attempted to will her cheeks to be normal. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

She mimicked the motion Penny was making on her own eye, attempting to find the stray bit. After a moment, color also bloomed on the blonde's cheeks as she gingerly reached out. Hesitant fingers brushed by her chin to bring Joycelyn's heart-shaped face into her hands. The Scottish girl's eyes instinctively closed as Penny's finger's made deft work of the wayward eye crust leaving a trail of heat in their wake. It could have been the Joycelyn's imagination, but she almost thought Penny's fingers lingered a bit longer on her face before quickly dropping to the desk they shared.

"There you go Joy."

Joycelyn smiled gratefully in return. It wouldn't do to go around Hogwarts all day with eye crust. She tried to think of something witty to reply with, but the more the dark-haired girl tried to the more her brain came up with nothing.

"Can you meet me in the Artifacts room later?" The stray words escaped the dark-haired witch's treacherous lips before she had a chance to catch them. _Too late now_ , the Scottish witch mused while simultaneously impressed by her own brazen request.

Deft fingers which were just on her cheek brushed blonde hair almost nervously behind an ear, as blue eyes peered up at her curiously. "Sure Joy, I'll meet you as soon as class ends."

"Great" the taller brunette replied. She hoped her clipped response and tight smile didn't betray that she had a sudden urge to throw up. _What did I just do? Play it cool, Joy. Play. It. Cool._

The Scottish witch offered another small tight smile before turning her eyes to the scroll in-front of her, not able to comprehend the words she was staring at. After an eternity of pretending to read the same paragraph over and over again she sighed quietly. A prickling sensation at her right spread the same warmth she had come to associate a certain blonde with. She glanced up quickly and then right back down. She glanced up once more, attempting to be as subtle as possible while ensuring she had seen correctly before she refocused on the scroll in front of her.

 _What in Merlin's tits is going on?_ she thought to herself.

Penny Haywood would not stop staring at her. The other girl was giving a valiant effort at hiding the fact, but those ocean colored eyes were constantly roving toward her direction. All the attention was causing flustered blooms of color up Joycelyn's pale skin and, a feeling of clumsiness seemed to settle in her bones. But it was also met with something else, a flutter of warmth. The hope of what if.

The Artifacts room was small. It seemed so much bigger when Joycelyn first entered it years ago, and the memory of it hung around the brunette's shoulders like a familiar sweater. The room was a treasure trove of the most random things at Hogwarts. It was also the place that Joycelyn had spent countless hours searching for every manor of item over the years. It was the place where she and Penny would go with an extra cauldron and brew potions together. These clandestine position making sessions were not only for vault hunting adventures but for other things throughout the years. There were times when the two of them would huddle on the floor of the artifacts room for hours as they brewed their concoction. Other times Penny or Joycelyn would pour over the potion while the other chatted casually. It was one of their shared places, and for the brunette one of the few places she felt like she could just be herself.

So, in the young witches' mind it was the perfect place to meet the other girl. To meet Penny, and _do what_ _exactly, talk about the sky?_ The brunette's rebellious thoughts shot back at her. It was true, she had impulsively asked to meet the other girl with no thought as to why other then to see her face.

Before she could do much more then sigh the door to the Artifacts room creaked open. A head of blonde hair nervously peaked around it, and bright blue eyes met green. For the Scottish witch it was like all the air had suddenly been sucked out of the room, as the blonde walked in, shut the door, and turned expectant eyes toward her.

"Hi, History of Magic is always so dull", the other girl rushed out in a single breath. Penny had a habit of touchy with her friends, and Joycelyn was no different in that regard. The blonde strode up to Joycelyn, still talking, her hands smoothing over the Scottish girls' shoulders to wrap her in a lose hug.

"Yeah" Joycelyn breathed out.

 _I love you. You're essential to me like air; I'm enchanted with you're every move._

"Yeah" Joycelyn repeated.

The other girl suddenly stopped, and her hands began to roam over the brunette's shoulders finally coming to a stop with a small squeeze of the muscles of her upper arms. Curious blue eyes peered up at green as a genuinely confused smile found its way on Penny's features.

"You really have been training hard, haven't you?" she seemed to breathe out.

Immediate color exploded on Joycelyn's face, and she coughed lowly in embarrassment. The sound seemed to snap the blonde witch out of her thoughts causing her to drop her hands to her side, almost awkwardly.

"Yeah, I'm thinking of going into curse-breaking after school", Joycelyn sheepishly expressed.

An impish smile spread across Penny's features, and she tilted her head slightly. "You are the Hero of Hogwarts after all", she expressed almost proudly.

Joycelyn let out a short laugh, awkwardly smoothing an eyebrow. It had been a while since Penny had called her that. The old nickname brought up images of a time in herbology when the dark-haired Scot had blurted out her feelings to the blonde. Joycelyn had given her talk with Rowan some thought, she did desperately wish to keep a friendship with Penny. But the more Joycelyn thought about it the more she needed a definitive answer from the other girl.

"Joy?" the other girl's voice and a soft touch to her arm broke into her thoughts. Concerned blue eyes peered up at her and Joycelyn realized the other girl was impossibly close. For the second time in less than five minutes Joycelyn breathed out a barely imperceptible

"Yeah?"

Ocean colored eyes peered deep into her own with something the brunette had not seen before. Penny was usually so controlled, bubbly, and easy going. However, this intensity from the blonde was new. The soft touch that had roused the Scottish girl from her thoughts were now slowly climbing up her arm. They snaked around her shoulders, akin to a caress, before coming to rest with Penny's palms gently cupping her shoulders.

The slightest pressure from that hand caused the taller witch to cave, bending slightly so the other girl's hand could get better purchase. All the while the witches drew into each other's space, both girl's eyes darkening. For Joycelyn, her heart had sped up to double time march around her insides until all she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears. Her vision awash with now dark blue eyes. Her own hands had mysteriously found themselves comfortably resting on the blonde's hip, slowly pulling the other girl closer.

 _Merlin's tits this is it!_ The brunette thought.

Her head swam with the scent of lilac and apples. The scent that seemed to haunt her even in her dreams. Her gaze flicked down to the lips growing ever closer, the same ones which she had only dreamt of for years. Her own tongue unconsciously flicking out to wet her own lips.

A crash like something heavy being smashed against the door suddenly broke through the haze, the moment lost. Purely on instinct, Joycelyn pulled the smaller girl flush against her protectively tucked into her side. Her wade pointed at the door ready to attack whoever was on the other side.

After a moment of tense silence, a soft "ow, what in Merlin's beard was that for Tonks?" could be heard from the other side of the door with more shuffling and muffled voices growing distant. Tulip and Tonks were apparently having another prank war. Joycelyn let out a shaky breath, her heart now beating for a completely different reason.

The blonde must have felt it too as she nervously extracted herself from Joycelyn's protective embrace.

"Well, uh, that was…loud" she finished lamely. But before Joycelyn could reply the blonde had continued talking with an awkward cough. "What did you want to talk to me about again?"

Joycelyn dropped her wand with a start, shaking slightly.

"Right. Yes. I want to …show you something. At the Black Lake. Later. Can you go?" The brunette rushed out, her words falling over themselves while her brain screamed at her.

Penny began to shuffle away from the Scottish witch nervously. "Yeah, let me just go change. I will meet you in the courtyard in a few".

As the other girl seemed to beat a hasty retreat from the Artifacts room, for the third time in the last five minutes, Joycelyn breathed out a single sad word.

"yeah.."


End file.
